Pinnacle filed an application late last month with the city, seeking to allow 12- and 10-storey additions to the already approved 80- and 95-storey towers during its development on the site of the current Toronto Star building. If approved, it will take the second, called SkyTower, to 105 floors, about 346 meters. The One development at Yonge and Bloor, where developers have applied for 94 stories and about 338 meters, was previously on track to become the tallest building, as it would technically be taller than the original plan for 1 Yonge St. “It’s definitely a bit of a skyscraper race, to see who can take that title as the tallest building in Canada,” said Stephen Velasco, the founder of Future Model Toronto, a platform that models development and construction in the city. “It would be the first building in Canada to exceed 100 stories in height,” he said. “The roof of the building is actually flush with the CN Tower’s main observation deck, so it will not only have an impact from the skyline but also from that iconic deck view.” The current tallest building in Toronto is First Canadian Place (72 storeys) at Bay and King Streets, Velasco said. The CN Tower doesn’t technically count as a building, he added. According to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitats, to be considered a building at least half of its height must be habitable. Telecommunications or observation towers don’t make the cut. Pinnacle vice president of sales and marketing Anson Kwok said the skyscraper war is not what drives the company. The decision to go even higher was an internal one, considering what would be best for the city and the location. He wanted to add “a little more intrigue” to the skyline, he said, calling the tower “a piece of art for the city.” Of course, having bragging rights as “the tallest building in Canada” can’t hurt a project’s sales, especially at a time when mortgage rates are soaring and cracks appear to be forming in Toronto’s once-unstoppable condo market. There are still some units available for sale, and prices at Pinnacle One Yonge range from about $900,000 to $3 million, Kwok said. The completed development will include a city-operated community center with a pool and basketball court, he added. “Toronto is a world-class city, so I think in the last 10 years, 40 storeys was pretty common, then you get to 60. To get to that next level of city, in terms of New York or Chicago, I think that architectural interest is very important,” Kwok said. “Super tall” residential skyscrapers have gone up in other cities around the world, Velasco said. But “it’s a very new phenomenon at least for Toronto. We’re seeing more residential buildings approaching that height, but we don’t have any at this point that exceed 300 meters or 1,000 feet in height, which is the official classification for supertalls,” he said. Once completed, Mizrahi Developments’ luxury tower, The One, at 1 Bloor Street West, would also qualify as a “super-tall.” President Sam Mizrahi confirmed in an email that in early 2021 his company requested additional height that would raise its tower from the approved 85 stories to 94 stories, about 338 meters. In general, buildings that are tall can come with high chances of waiting for elevators, with stairs simply not an option for most residents and upper floors can sway in the wind, Velasco said. But they come with prestige, and of course a view. “Obviously that can change with the rate of development in the city, it’s not uncommon to have your view blocked by another tower,” Velasco added. “But at least on the upper floors, it’s very likely that residents will have an unobstructed view for quite some time.” SHARE: COME TO THE DISCUSSION Anyone can read the conversations, but to contribute, you must be a registered Torstar account holder. If you don’t have a Torstar account yet, you can create one now (it’s free) Sign in Register Conversations are the opinions of our readers and are subject to our Code of Conduct. The Star does not endorse these views.
